<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 14px; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><div><div>Hello everyone,</div><div><br></div><div>With thanks to Jonathan for forwarding Ram’s note, it does emphasize the importance of completing the current phase of LGR work for all 22 scripts, so please do assist if you can by forwarding the Program team’s request from a few days ago to your communities and as broadly as possible. Please let me know if you’d like me to resend the document, or if there are other groups or persons that you think we can send it to.</div><div><br></div><div>I’d like to also clarify one point in Ram’s email – the idea to have a “self organized community group” was raised by community members who were present at the London meeting with the Board IDN Variants Working Group. This was viewed as an opportunity for those interested in the outcome of IDN Variants implementation to come together voluntarily to assist with ICANN’s planning and implementation of future phases of the IDN Variant Program, where appropriate. As such, this is not being proposed or foreseen as a formal GNSO Working Group.</div><div><br></div><div>Cheers</div><div>Mary</div><div><br></div><div><div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Calibri">Mary Wong</font></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Calibri">Senior Policy Director</font></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Calibri">Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers (ICANN)</font></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Calibri">Telephone: +1 603 574 4892</font></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Calibri">Email: mary.wong@icann.org</font></font></div><div><br></div></div></div><div><br></div></div><div><br></div><span id="OLK_SRC_BODY_SECTION"><div style="font-family:Calibri; font-size:11pt; text-align:left; color:black; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: #b5c4df 1pt solid; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 3pt"><span style="font-weight:bold">From: </span> Jonathan Robinson <<a href="mailto:jrobinson@afilias.info">jrobinson@afilias.info</a>><br><span style="font-weight:bold">Organization: </span> Afilias<br><span style="font-weight:bold">Reply-To: </span> "<a href="mailto:jrobinson@afilias.info">jrobinson@afilias.info</a>" <<a href="mailto:jrobinson@afilias.info">jrobinson@afilias.info</a>><br><span style="font-weight:bold">Date: </span> Thursday, August 28, 2014 at 1:07 PM<br><span style="font-weight:bold">To: </span> "<a href="mailto:council@gnso.icann.org">council@gnso.icann.org</a>" <<a href="mailto:council@gnso.icann.org">council@gnso.icann.org</a>><br><span style="font-weight:bold">Subject: </span> [council] FW: Interaction between the ICANN Board's IDN Variant Working Group and the GNSO <br></div><div><br></div><blockquote id="MAC_OUTLOOK_ATTRIBUTION_BLOCKQUOTE" style="BORDER-LEFT: #b5c4df 5 solid; PADDING:0 0 0 5; MARGIN:0 0 0 5;"><div xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--><div lang="EN-GB" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style="border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">From:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> Ram Mohan [<a href="mailto:ram.mohan@icann.org">mailto:ram.mohan@icann.org</a>]
<br><b>Sent:</b> 28 August 2014 13:04<br><b>To:</b> 'Jonathan Robinson'<br><b>Cc:</b> 'Ram Mohan'; 'Board Variant Working Group'<br><b>Subject:</b> RE: Interaction between the ICANN Board's IDN Variant Working Group and the GNSO
<br><b>Importance:</b> High<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Dear Jonathan,</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">The Board’s IDN Variant Working Group (BV-WG) members thank the GNSO Council and its community for maintaining an active interest in the IDN program. We are
pleased to learn that we were able clarify the status of the IDN Program during the discussion on topics of mutual interest with the GNSO Council and community members in London.
<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">The GNSO Council is correct in its assessment that the current work on the development of the Label Generation Ruleset (LGR) for the Root Zone (P2.2) is technical
in nature and policy advise is not required at this stage. If the Integration Panel or the Generation Panels communicate any such need in the future, the ICANN staff will issue the call for the advisor position as per the
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#1F497D"><a href="https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/lgr-procedure-20mar13-en.pdf"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">procedure</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">
for developing the LGR for the Root Zone. ICANN staff will ensure that the GNSO Council is informed in this case.
</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">BV-WG continues to oversee and guide the progress of the IDN Variant TLD program. The Program is currently being advised by the BV-WG to focus on organizing
the community efforts for developing the LGR for the Root Zone, which is the necessary pre-requisite for further implementation. The BV-WG encourages active involvement of the GNSO community in this current phase of the work by volunteering for the Generation
Panels for the various scripts, especially for Latin and Cyrillic. The BV-WG welcomes the GNSO community’s intention to self-organize to review the original New gTLD IDN WG recommendations, with a view toward assisting Program staff with preparation for P7
following maturation of the work on LGR.</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Based on our prior agreement, IDN Program staff will continue to provide regular updates to GNSO Council and GNSO members. The BV-WG also looks forward to the
continued discussion on the status and the future of the IDN Variant TLD program.
</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Ram Mohan<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Chair, Board Variant Working Group<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style="border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">From:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"> Jonathan Robinson [<a href="mailto:jonathan.robinson@ipracon.com">mailto:jonathan.robinson@ipracon.com</a>]
<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, August 19, 2014 4:39 AM<br><b>To:</b> Ram Mohan<br><b>Subject:</b> Interaction between the ICANN Board's IDN Variant Working Group and the GNSO
<br><b>Importance:</b> High<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black;">Dear Ram,</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black;">I write to follow up on the meeting in London between the ICANN Board’s IDN Variant Working Group and
a number of GNSO Council and community members. I’d like to thank you and the other Board members for taking the time to meet with them to discuss the progress of ICANN’s IDN Variant Program. We believe the discussion was helpful to all of us, and appreciate
the updates that ICANN staff has been providing to the GNSO regarding ongoing work on the Program.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black;">I’d like to follow up on a specific observation that had been shared by a few GNSO community members
in Singapore and London, regarding a perceived need for policy input into the Program by individuals with experience and expertise in ICANN policy development. Our discussions in Singapore and now in London have served to clarify that the current work being
done in the Program (and specifically in P2.2) is largely technical in nature. In addition, I understand that ICANN's call last summer for advisors and experts to assist the Label Generation Rule-set (LGR) panels provided that the LGR panels might call on
advisors (including ICANN staff) as the need arises. I note further that an advisor has already been appointed to the Integration Panel and that ICANN has announced that any additional advisors to be appointed will be at the request of the panels, in accordance
with the LGR Procedure.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black;">As the Program progresses, and particularly in the near future as the panels conclude their work, some
GNSO community members have noted that should the need for policy expertise arise at any point there are individuals within the GNSO who will be willing to volunteer to assist. In this regard the GNSO Council will be happy to serve as a contact point for any
such requests. Separately, I note that a suggestion was made at the London meeting for interested GNSO community members to “self-organize” to review the original New gTLD IDN WG recommendations, with a view toward assisting Program staff with preparation
for P7. It is my hope as GNSO Chair that these suggestions, along with ICANN staff continuing to provide their regular update to the GNSO on the Program, will allow the GNSO community to be of assistance to the important work of the Program and, in particular,
if and when any policy questions are encountered.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black;">Thank you again for your time. I look forward to continuing our discussion and to facilitating any
appropriate involvement of interested members of the GNSO community in the current and future work of the IDN Variant Program. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black;">Best regards,</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black;">Jonathan Robinson</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black;">GNSO Council Chair</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></div></div></blockquote></span></body></html>